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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26855002">How the honeymoon incident was forgiven</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayWritesSometimes/pseuds/MayWritesSometimes'>MayWritesSometimes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:47:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,021</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26855002</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayWritesSometimes/pseuds/MayWritesSometimes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After Naruto announced his and Hinata's engagement, they throw a peace summit that's more of a social event than a diplomatic meeting. Of course, Shikamaru has to be there, and it's terribly boring. Such an inconvenience... Unless someone can brighten his evening ?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nara Shikamaru/Temari</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>How the honeymoon incident was forgiven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Of all the obligations of a delegate to the state, this might be his absolute least favorite. Shikamaru moves awkwardly, trying to ease the tight fabric of his brand-new tuxedo. It's itchy, the shoes are unbroken and hurt his feet, and worst of all they expect him to make small talk with everyone as if talking about the weather with twenty different important people might help the lasting peace process.</p>
<p>His eye catches the flowing movement of a burgundy dress, but it is lost in the crowd before he can be sure of what he has seen. There are a lot of people present for this gathering, and he is ready to bet that half of them are only here out of curiosity, to meet the now official fiancée of the renowned Uzumaki Naruto. Hinata has barely had the chance to breathe, her champagne glass sits untouched in her hand and her pale complexion makes Shikamaru think that she needs something much stronger to last the evening anyway. A dozen people are packed around her at all times, bombarding her with questions, sometimes way too personal. Naruto doesn't seem to mind, but he's also made sure never to leave her side. Their get together story does sound like the fever dream of a crack addict, but they are a good fit for each other.</p>
<p>Nara-sama ?</p>
<p>He turns, surprised that anyone would call him like that. A short, shy woman stands a bit awkwardly in front of him and tries a soft smile. She's wearing a plain dark dress and Shikamaru racks his brain trying to put a name on her face as he engages in yet another round of flavorless conversation. He never remembers her name and feels vaguely guilty as she finally moves to the next little gathering. He thinks about taking an early leave, but another flash of burgundy distracts him. This time he catches the sight of her bare shoulder blades and sandy hair before she's swallowed by the crowd again.</p>
<p>Shikamaru makes a brief recap of the program. Tonight is the launching party of the would-be annual peace conference, and serves no real purpose other than to show off each country's war heroes and finest strategists, which is why he's been invited. After the drinks and food they are expecting influential political figures from the whole continent to gather around for the whole night for a stupid ball. Shikamaru is also supposed to keep an eye on security, even if he's not officially on duty. Taking his leave now would get him in trouble, however dull the evening might be. He could probably manage to get out after a few dances without too much repercussion.</p>
<p>Which means at least two other grueling hours of boredom and discomfort. He moves to the bar, and once again catches a burgundy dress disappearing as he makes it.</p>
<p>Is she avoiding him ?</p>
<p>Why in the world would she avoid him ?</p>
<p>They parted on good terms. Or did he do something wrong ? Is she still mad at him because of the qui pro quo thing with the honeymoon venue ? Thinking about the incident makes him cringe, and blush, and panic, but they have talked about it already. Kind of. Well, they've talked since, at least. The barman hands him his drink and he turns to lean against the bar and scan the room, but no trace of the burgundy dress anywhere.</p>
<p>“She's more shy than I expected.”</p>
<p>Two men are talking next to him, both leaning on the bar as well. It's the place to be if you're a nonchalant, bored person looking for a woman apparently.</p>
<p>“With everything I've heard about her, I was ready for anything. But she's pretty meak.”</p>
<p>Nonchalant, bored and really bad at compliments, Shikamaru notes absentmindedly. He's focused on the crowd, playing his own silly game of where's Waldo. It helps with the boredom and actually forces him to do a little intelligence work. His busy brain finds the time to register both the suspicious looking individuals making their way to the bar and the conversation that isn't getting any better.</p>
<p>“I mean, she's hot, but come on. Ran like a frightened deer.”</p>
<p>Shikamaru takes personal offense in that last comment. Whoever this woman is, running away from the likes of him has to be common sense.</p>
<p>“Maybe your ugly face scared her away.”</p>
<p>“Shut up !”</p>
<p>Shikamaru represses a smile. He tries a glance at the strangers. The offended one is tall, smartly dressed, with light brown hair and grey eyes. Both his clothing and features speak of Suna, and his way of standing is both from the civilian world and the nobility. His companion is obviously his younger brother. More interesting, as he details them, Shikamaru gets a clear view of his personal Waldo.</p>
<p>Temari. </p>
<p>Standing some way behind the bar, she takes his breath away. He has no time to process his dry throat or hot cheeks or even the missed heartbeat in his chest and she's gone.</p>
<p>Damn, the woman is fast. </p>
<p>Also she clearly doesn't want to talk to him, and it's upsetting. Why wouldn't she want to ? Has the honeymoon fiasco so completely ruined years of collaboration and trust that she has to get away as soon as their gaze meet ?</p>
<p>Shikamaru sips his drink dry and puts the glass back. It's time to make a round and find this woman, have a real conversation. </p>
<p>He winds up back at the bar half an hour later. She's much better at stalking around in a crowd than he is. The two idiots from before are still here as he asks for a new drink, and they are a bit more than tipsy now. The oldest one bottoms up a glass of liquor, smashes it loudly on the counter and stumbles.</p>
<p>“I'm telling you, bro, I'mma find her, I'mma find her…”</p>
<p>The little brother laughs.</p>
<p>“And then what ?”</p>
<p>He squints hard, sways, and against all odds, regains his balance.</p>
<p>“I'mma kiss her.”</p>
<p>Shikamaru is mildly amused. What is less entertaining though, is the way Temari seems to find her way back to her quiet spot directly behind the drunken pair from Suna. She's surveying the tall, grey eyed Romeo from the corner of her eye, mostly concealed in a dark corner. Shikamaru spots her burgundy dress, but this time avoids eye contact. Is he really the one she is running from tonight ? He closes his eyes and sends a shadow tendril after her, feeding into the many dark spots until it finds her. This time he will not lose her in the crowd.</p>
<p>Focusing on looking like a normal, functioning human and keeping his jutsu active is a hard task, but now Shikamaru is curious and determined. He is also leaning against the bar, so looking a bit drunk won't raise suspicion. The Suna men next to him are looking for their “princess” and Shikamaru is keeping himself from a parallel that would get him hit on the head if Temari ever suspected it. He's also failing. </p>
<p>Temari is tense. He can feel it in her stride, in her sways and sudden turns. She's tracking something while conceding herself, and making an excellent job of both. She never goes far beyond the radius around the bar, but stays carefully out of sight of the drunk pair. Shikamaru is more than halfway convinced now that she's the one they were talking about. Mixing nobility and military isn't that common, but in Suna's case, it could help consolidate both positions after heavy losses. And who better than the only daughter of the last Kazekage, the very sister of the current one, to form an alliance ? The thought is disturbing. It makes sense, but Temari wouldn't go through with something like that. She did seem interested in getting married, the honeymoon incident had proven that, and she didn't have any special interest in any other shinobi. Maybe she would like a position in the state. She is certainly qualified. </p>
<p>Shikamaru is thinking hard. Temari has stopped, she's talking with her brothers. She's upset. She's tapping her foot. Kankuro drags her away pretty quickly, and bows in front of her, offering his hand. She takes it, and music fills the room. A very small part of Shikamaru’s brain remembers to wonder why they are opening the ball, but mostly though, he is gaping stupidly as brother and sister twirl and fly across the floor, light as butterflies. He is transfixed by the sight of her gracefully moving, fluid and intense as fire. Time stills, the music is the only measure, and couples flash by before him while only her movements unfold slowly and artistically under the lights. </p>
<p>The music stops and Shikamaru feels hungover. It was magical and much too brief a moment, he wants it back, but it's gone and now Temari is getting lost in the crowd again and he remembers the broken technique just a millisecond before she's utterly out of reach. He's back at his stalking game, and she's pacing as before, always in the back of the Suna pair. The band is playing non-stop now and dancers invade the center of the room. Shikamaru is happy he doesn't have to find Temari in this packed, dark outer ring of people and concentrates to make sure he will not lose her by mistake.</p>
<p>He's not sure why it's so important to slowly use up all his chakra to keep track of a perfectly able and independent kunoichi who doesn't want to speak to him, but it is. And so he does, following her, and feeling both like a complete creep and also closer to her that way. He refuses to let go.</p>
<p>The Suna pair have been drinking something else than alcohol for a bit, and they're quieter now. It makes it all the more obvious when the eldest screams in the crowd like a moron.</p>
<p>“Princess !”</p>
<p>Shikamaru frowns and Temari tenses. She's still conceded in the crowd at his back, and the guy is not looking in her direction at all, but at a newcomer, a girl with impossibly long, straight black hair cascading down a white traditional gown. The lost princess of Ame, the beauty with sapphire eyes, Shikamaru guesses. He stares curiously, but she looks too clean and cold, almost untouchable, otherworldly. Her skin is pale, almost as white as the fabric covering it, and her small frame and delicate bones are lost in the heavy folds, making her look something akin to a big meringue. Her eyes are indeed blue, but quite dark. Nothing like the luminous teal of a mountain lake under the sun, which is what he pictures when someone describes to him beautiful blue eyes. Like Temari’s. Temari who is running across the room, or rather trying to in her impractical evening dress.</p>
<p>Temari is a wind user, and a long range fighter. She has excellent strategic thinking and is decent at hand to hand combat, but without a tool her techniques are useless. She usually carries around a war fan, but Shikamaru has seen her before with a short Tai Chi style fan in close quarters. She produces it now, and it's immediately ripped to shreds by a wire infused with razor edged chakra. She then throws herself in the way between the wire and the eldest brother who is frozen in place. She has nothing left to defend herself with, and is too far from her own brothers for them to get here in time. But Shikamaru’s shadow is still actively linked to her, and he has just the time to manifest a shadow hand to catch the wire.</p>
<p>Chakra cuts into the shadow but gets stuck. Shikamaru absorbs it and reinforces his technique with it. There is a skilled user on the other end of that wire, someone with powerful chakra in impressive quantity, which is just the thing Shikamaru needs. Temari takes her chance, jumps on the wire and runs across to the stuck ninja hidden in a corner. The soft sound of swishing sand comes from their left, and the click clacking of puppet parts fitting together from their right. Shikamaru sees a second ninja get up from the shadow of the first one, trapped by his shadow tendrils, and the throwing movement he makes, and shakes up the wire. Temari takes the hint and gracefully somersaults, avoiding the projectile, kicks off her heels in the air while she's at it and bounces back on the wire barefoot, taking up speed. The hidden ninja is drawing a blade when she gets to him and smashes his nose with her foot. They tumble down, a big wave gets up from nothing and swallows them.</p>
<p>She's not going to like that, Shikamaru thinks. She took the time to get ready and pretty in an uncomfortable and impractical dress, and if this guy ruins it with water, she will be mad and she might kill him. The wave crashes on the floor and lazy rimples of cold water reach him, rising to his ankles. He frowns. If it's cold, the ninja will definitely die. He keeps his grip on the shadows, but the ninja has stopped to infuse chakra in the wire for a while now and Shikamaru is getting short himself. Time to end this little brawl and knock the guy out for a minute, just to catch a breather. And check on Temari, who hasn't emerged. The shadow thickens and grows hands and limbs, its lengthy fingers tightening around the man's neck. He clutches at it desperately and rakes his own skin with his fingernails, trailing blood as his face turns purple and blue. Then he collapses, and Shikamaru lets go. He's not entirely certain he hasn't killed him, but he doesn't have the time to check. If the guy is alive, he'll be up in a couple of minutes with a killer headache and an intent to avenge himself.</p>
<p>The water is sloshing in a big, dark sphere in the back of the room. Shikamaru couldn't see it from where he was before, but now the globe takes up all the space. All the lamps have died with the first wave and he can't make out the shapes moving within the water. Where is Temari ? Since when hasn't she breathed ? Plunging in like an idiot wouldn't help anyone, he has to think. </p>
<p>Temari is a wind user. She needs a tool to produce wind. She hasn't got one at the moment. Shikamaru needs to provide a tool, and she will cut this water user to pieces. He doesn't have much in the way of ninja tools, but there's always this thing. He carries it everywhere like a keepsake, and Temari knows it and how to use it. Of course, now he needs to figure out how to get it to her and her alone.</p>
<p>Focusing the last of his chakra, he throws it with a shadow tendril. He's looking for Temari’s chakra, its specific taste and color. It's hard to explain, but they have worked together so often that he knows the very feeling of it. Plus, it's concentrated in the water and makes it easier to find her. He tries to gently tap on her shoulder, but it's enough to scare her. She tries to punch, but through the water her movements are slow and weak. Shikamaru makes sure she doesn't accidentally cut herself on the blade and shoves it hilt first in her hand. It helps that his shadow hand can hold it by the sharp edge without problems. He feels her fingers tighten around it before his technique finally gives out and dissolves into nothingness. </p>
<p>Returning his consciousness to his own body, only to find it devoid of energy, is a miserable feeling and Shikamaru winces. He stumbles and splashes in the water, and gets surprised when the sphere ruptures and a new wave knocks him off his feet. His bottom hits the floor and he spits out cold water. When he blinks the liquid from his irritated eyes, Temari is sprawled out a few feet from him, coughing up water while her brothers are running to her. One keeps the curious away with death glares while the other produces a medic he has found somewhere. Temari swats at him, tries to get up and falls back, her shaky limbs refusing to carry her. Her soaked dress is sticking to her like a second skin, her hair is getting in her eyes and she looks both furious and miserable. Shikamaru feels a tug in his gut at the sight. The medic succeeds at getting a look at her after a bit of a fight that she loses out of exhaustion and lack of oxygen. The different attempts have driven her closer to Shikamaru, and he gets a clear view of her purplish lips and pale complexion as she begrudgingly lies down to let the professional examine her. </p>
<p>This attack has killed the party, and everyone has been ushered out of the room. The main participants stay a bit longer for reports purposes, rounding up dead bodies and one sole survivor. Shikamaru is surprised to see that he has indeed strangled to death the first attacker, and the sole survivor is actually the one Gaara took care of. The medic has gone after covering Temari with a thick plaid, that she tosses aside as soon as he's out the door. She then proceeds to dry herself with a couple of gusts of wind. It's not very effective, but she's frowning less than before, so that's that. The smart looking man with grey eyes comes to thank her personally. She nods, trying to look formal while drenched and hurt and manages to keep her cough in check long enough for a small speech. Then the man is gently pushed out by Gaara. Before Shikamaru has a chance to talk to her, Temari leaves. </p>
<p>He's tempted to run after her, for half a second, but that's just too much of a hassle. Instead he gets to his room, takes a hot shower and tries to sleep.</p>
<p>Shikamaru wakes in the middle of the night with a start. Another nightmare. They haven't been rare since he started working. This particular one was darker than most, though. He can't go back to sleep, he gets up and walks around the room a little, shaking himself awake. Anything but back to this terrible dream. Every time he blinks, the after image comes back, imprinted in the back of his eyelids. A pale face with blue lips. He opens the window to get a breath of fresh air, and sticks his head out in the night.</p>
<p>The air is just the right amount of chilly, with a light wind carrying the smells of spring. The light sound of running water comes from the river down below, but it's too shrouded in darkness to even make out its contour. He hears a rustle up on the roof, and looks up, meeting a teal gaze. She pulls her head back immediately, but calls after him.</p>
<p>“Come on up.”</p>
<p>He does. It would be awkward otherwise, if he refuses the one chance she's giving him at a conversation. Plus, it's not like he's missing any sleep. He settles down next to her on the roof and folds his arms under his head in a makeshift pillow, looking up at the stars.</p>
<p>“I didn't make you out for the insomniac type”, she tries after a long silence.</p>
<p>Her voice is soft and deep like velvet. Maybe it's because she doesn't want to wake anyone. Maybe it's because she's feeling more insecure than usual. Maybe it's the sleepiness.</p>
<p>“I had a nightmare”, he admits.</p>
<p>She doesn't mock him. She never does.</p>
<p>“What was it about ?”</p>
<p>He turns his gaze to her. Should he tell her ? It's probably safer not to. He could make something up, something stupid. But she'd know. Temari has a top notch sixth sense when it comes to detecting bullshit. He decides a half truth might make the cut.</p>
<p>“I was… strangling someone. They died.”</p>
<p>She squints at him. She knows there's something he isn't telling her, but she doesn't push him. Temari is always like that, calling him out when he's being stupid or lazy, but never when he feels unsafe. When he feels that way, she just is there until it goes away. </p>
<p>“What about you ?”</p>
<p>She grunts.</p>
<p>“I keep dreaming I'm drowning. Back in the dark, cold water, I can't breathe, and it attacks me and I'm so useless. I can't fight back…”</p>
<p>She puts her fingers to her throat at the memory of choking on water. The motion painfully reminds Shikamaru of his own nightmare, and he catches her hand midway. Her eyebrows knit in surprise. Her face fuses with the Temari of his dream, pale as death, lips blue, blood caking her hands and throat as she rakes her own skin trying to pry the shadow hands away, in vain, kicking and crying until she goes still forever and her luminous teal eyes cloud with death, staring at him and his sins.</p>
<p>She breaks the horror vision by snatching her hand back.</p>
<p>“Are you done ? What is it with you today ?”</p>
<p>Shikamaru blinks. She wants an explanation, and he certainly can't give her one. His best guess is that the guilt of killing someone is manifesting in this terrible nightmare, in the form of him brutally murdering someone he cares about. Or knows well. Or the one person he ever happened to see in a state close to what he inflicted upon the poor dead ninja who attacked them. But he can't possibly tell her she was the one dying in his dream.</p>
<p>“Who was the guy they attacked anyway ?”</p>
<p>She sulks in silence a minute, angry at his obvious attempt to change the subject. She must feel lonely, because she finally indulges him.</p>
<p>“Suna Daimyo’s eldest son. He's basically royalty, and madly in love with Ame's lost princess. I guess Ame doesn't want her gone just yet, and had a very definitive idea about our young Romeo. We had Intel about it, but damn, these guys are not joking around.”</p>
<p>“So that's why you kept creeping on him.”</p>
<p>He can hear her frown and smirks lightly. </p>
<p>“I didn't creep.”</p>
<p>She's so easy to make tick. Like a well thought clock, sturdy, sound and right on time.</p>
<p>“For a minute there I thought you were the princess he kept rambling about.”</p>
<p>“I'm no princess.”</p>
<p>“Come on, you kinda are. Nobody knows Romeo, everybody from every damn country knows Suna no Temari. You and your brothers are more than famous.”</p>
<p>“No more than you, Nara.”</p>
<p>“Yes, much more than you'd think. Suna no Temari. The princess from the sand.”</p>
<p>She punches him playfully in the arm.</p>
<p>“Shut up.”</p>
<p>He feels her mood darken suddenly.</p>
<p>“I'm no one's princess.”</p>
<p>Before he has time to reflect on what she means by that, she gets up and walks to the edge of the roof. She has perfect balance, but the way she sways over the void makes him nervous. She spins on her heels to face him and his guts knot painfully. She's standing on her tiptoes, over nothingness, and stares at him, expression unreadable.</p>
<p>“What in the world are you doing ?”</p>
<p>She smiles and her teeth glint in the starlight. He doesn't move. If there is one thing that Shikamaru knows to be true, it's that Temari has never needed to be saved from herself.</p>
<p>“Facing my fear.”</p>
<p>She does a mock salut, and dramatically lets herself fall from the roof. In the blink of an eye, she’s gone, swallowed by the night. Before his heart starts functioning again, having skipped a couple of beats, Shikamaru hears the characteristic splashing sound of a body hitting water.</p>
<p>He gets to the edge of the roof as she emerges from the river with a hungry gulp of air.</p>
<p>“Fuck it's cold ! Fuck ! That was a bad idea !”</p>
<p>Shikamaru laughs softly.</p>
<p>“Dammit, you troublesome woman.”</p>
<p>And he jumps.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!</p>
<p>This is a precious piece for me, I've always loved the dynamic between Temari and Shikamaru and I hope you liked it too :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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